Top Notch

Dogs; man’s (and woman)’s best friend. Our constant companions, protectors, and lovable fluff balls. My fur baby is so much more than a mere pet, as I’m sure most dog mamas and daddies would agree, which is why you’ll always find at least one recipe intended for our four-legged friends in each of my cookbooks. Even when I’m tired of cooking for myself, I’ll never get bored of sharing that passion with my little boy, Luka. He’s the kindest critic I know, wolfing down even the craziest creations with gusto. No matter that he would just as soon eat snails off the sidewalk- it’s still a compliment I’m happy to take at face value.

Recently, I was lucky enough to join forces with Wild Earth, makers of innovative plant-based dog food and treats, to introduce a few toppers to whip up for your own canine gourmands.

What’s a topper, and why do you want one? Think of it as a dog’s answer to ketchup with French fries. Sure, the fries are great by themselves, hot and crispy with a light touch of salt, but they would be even better with a velvety pool of ketchup to dip them in. Beyond the immediate gratification of a delicious dinner, though, you’re introducing a rich array of whole food nutrients in every bite. It’s a treat, it’s a condiment, and it’s a multivitamin supplement, all in one!

First up: Fur Baby Furikake! On the Japanese dinner table, furikake is an essential seasoning even more important than mere salt and pepper. Plain white rice becomes a crave-worthy meal with just a sprinkle, and that not even the beginning of its full-flavored potential. Toasted seaweed meets golden sesame seeds and a diverse palate of spices, depending on the blend for this savory staple. Deeply umami, lightly crunchy, and endlessly customizable to suit individual tastes, furikake deserves a place in every pantry.

If your pup is kind enough to share, there’s a universal appeal to this savory sprinkle. When my own good boy isn’t looking, I’ll admit to using this over freshly popped popcorn, warm sticky rice, and even baked tofu.

Puppy Peanut Sauce may very well become a new staple in your pantry, too. Creamy, sweet, salty, savory and sometimes even spicy, peanut sauce is the Swiss army knife of dressings. Every culture has their own distinctive approach, but it always comes down to a small handful of pantry staples. This recipe for Puppy Peanut sauce combines smooth, creamy peanut butter with a well-balanced combination of spices, a bit of sweetness, and just a touch of acid for an infinitely adaptable formula. Even though this might sound like a recipe for us humans, we’re not the only ones that find this indispensable condiment irresistible.

For those with opposable thumbs, you’ll want to keep a firm grasp on this bottle of liquid gold because it sparkles on everything from salads to stir fries, spring rolls to satay, and beyond. Add a touch of heat with sriracha to appease human palates, along with a splash of soy sauce to round things out. Alternately, take it in the opposite direction with a dab of maple syrup, and you’ll have a dynamite dessert sauce for lavishing on top of ice cream, or dipping into with cut fruit.

Sit, stay, get your Good Boy Gravy! What’s the secret sauce that makes homely biscuits remarkable meals and covers a multitude of sins should you burn the roast on Thanksgiving Day? Gravy, that simple, savory sauce, has got your back. By definition, the word itself also means “something additional or unexpected that is pleasing or valuable,” which is an equally appropriate description for this classic pan sauce.

Speed through this recipe by simply blending a can of cooked, drained lentils with the remaining ingredients if you don’t have time to start from scratch. To be worthy of the dinner table, consider adding 2 tablespoons of soy sauce for a bit of an umami boost, and don’t be afraid to dabble with seasonings. Rubbed sage is a distinctive taste that immediately tastes like a fall feast with just a pinch, and a touch of smoked paprika does wonders to warm the overall flavors. Though this batch yields a generous amount for one pup, I have a feeling your good boy (or girl) won’t be the only one tempted to partake.

Fill up your fur baby’s bowl with some serious good eats. Get 20% off your first purchase of Wild Earth food or treats by clicking through my link, and don’t forget to check out those topper recipes on the Wild Earth Dog Blog for a special treat!

July 13, 2020July 15, 2020

Hannah (BitterSweet)3 Comments

Pi Day, Gone to the Dogs

Pushed to the back of my recipe archives, this one has been a long time coming. Despite the fact that the results were well-received, immediately devoured with glee and appreciation, it didn’t seem worthy of sharing on this public platform. Why withhold this treat from others, designed for the four-legged friends among us, who truly don’t receive their fair share of culinary attention in the first place?

I was disappointed with the photos. Such a silly, shallow, and misconstrued excuse.

Now I treasure these images. There’s no “action shot” as I had envisioned, but who can argue with that trail of crumbs, the sign of a satisfied customer? That kind of approval is all I could ever hope for.

This post is dedicated to Isis.

Yield: Makes 12 Mini Pies

Carrot Custard Pup Pies

Name: Carrot Custard Pup Pies
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 39 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour; 2 Tablespoons Wheat Germ; 1/4 Cup Olive Oil; 1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar; 1/2 Cup 100% Carrot Juice; 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce; 2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk; 1 1/2 Tablespoons Powdered Kudzu Starch

These little pies have gone to the dogs. Your pup will love such a special treat that humans can enjoy, too.

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes

Total Time 39 minutes

Ingredients

No-Fuss Whole Wheat Crust:

1 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
2 Tablespoons Wheat Germ
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar

Carrot Custard:

1/2 Cup 100% Carrot Juice
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
1 1/2 Tablespoons Powdered Kudzu Starch

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a dozen mini muffin tins.
Combine the flour and wheat germ in a medium bowl before slowly drizzling in both the oil and vinegar. Mix until the dough comes together without any pockets of dry ingredients remaining. Pinch off walnut-sized balls and press them into the bottom and up the sides of your prepared muffin tins. A wooden tart tamper could be especially helpful for this task, but lightly moistened fingers will certainly get the job done all the same.
Bake the tiny crusts for 12 – 14 minutes, until dry and lightly golden brown all over. Let cool and begin to prepare the filling.
Whisk together all of the components for the carrot custard in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. Stir vigorously to break up any lumps of starch. Continue to whisk every couple of minutes, until the mixture comes to a boil. Cook for about a minute longer, until fully thickened, and turn off the heat.
Divide the filling equally between the baked mini crusts and let cool completely before moving them into the fridge to set. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Notes

Please note: As written, these pies are intended for canine consumption only, which means there is no sugar added and they are not actually sweet. If you’d like to share them with your furry friends, add 2 – 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, to taste, in the filling.

Recommended Products

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have experience with all of these companies and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 167Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 33mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

March 14, 2015December 13, 2021

Hannah (BitterSweet)20 Comments

Dog Years

The passage of time has confounded me yet again. Sure, I remembered to mark today’s date as something out of the ordinary and had sufficient time in which to prepare for it, but it doesn’t feel like enough time has passed for us to have arrived at this day yet. You see, my puppy, my innocent little baby, is celebrating her birthday today, and I couldn’t be more incredulous. Wasn’t it just a month ago that we drove down the coast and plucked her out that tiny pen holding her brothers and sisters, curious eyes fearful of the uncertain future before her? Although it’s easy to to forget how long Isis has been keeping all of us company, it’s becoming harder to deny that she is slowly but surely shedding her hyperactive youthfulness in exchange for the more mature, calm disposition of a full-fledged adult – Turning 10 years old (Or 70, depending on who you’re talking to) will do that, I suppose.

Long gone are the simpler days, when peeing in as many new rooms as possible was practically a competitive sport, never mind the fact that she was the only competitor. Less often do we return home to discover horrific scenes of destruction as well… But fluffy balls of yarn still prove to be too great a temptation when left within reach, no matter her increasing age. Still, her tastes have become greatly refined since puppy-hood, especially in earlier days when anything even borderline edible [And many things completely inedible, too] would end up in her mouth before we would ever see her approach. Deftly stalking her prey, many rotten vegetables, insects, plastic toys, any so on would meet a swift end via her sharp teeth and tumultuous digestive processes. I remember that milk cartons were a particular delicacy that Isis delighted in, and even after we stopped them, they would still mysterious appear in our yard, carried in by the joyful pup herself. It took us months to figure out that she was in fact stealing them from the neighbors’ recycling bins as if they were her personal all-you-can-eat buffets!

In her advancing age though, she has grown increasingly picky about her food. Only grudgingly eating her own food, it’s real meals that she craves these days. Crumbs of meat scraped from my father’s plate are the ultimate indulgence, just barely out-ranking pizza crusts. Unbelievably, not even all human food is pleasing to her refined palate now; Pretzel crumbs or lettuce leaves? Forget it. What about chunks of apple? Once a real treat that she would snap up and devour with such gusto that neither core nor seeds would remain when she had finished, but now something that she leaves on the floor, untouched. I simply can’t understand her behaviors sometimes.

For this very special birthday of hers, coming up with some sort of desirable treat was not as easy as it used to be. Afraid of a potential rejection and the shame of making something that not even a dog would eat, I almost didn’t venture to even try. Still, it’s not everyday that your darling puppy turns 10, so I sucked it up for her sake and made my best effort. It’s the thought that counts anyways, and there was no way I could sit idly by when she deserved so much more.

Ultimately, I decided that homemade biscuits should sufficiently satisfy my choosy pup. Adhering to her standard criteria for acceptable foods, I developed these snacks to be similar to pizza crusts in texture, giving her a solid crunch and dog-friendly flavor with every bite. Additional protein joins the mix by using soy flour in order to make it a more nutritionally rich treat, because who wouldn’t want their loved ones to stay healthy and happy for as long as possible? Aromatic and tempting even to me when the emerged from the oven, I was reluctant to give them all away when the time came. They are perfectly decent for humans to enjoy as well… But I don’t know if Isis would be so willing to share with me!

Yield: Makes 24 - 30 Biscuits

Dog Biscuits

Protein-rich soy flour makes these a healthy treat for dogs of all ages, but you can also use chickpea flour or fava bean flour instead.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Soybean Flour (or Chickpea Flour, or Fava Bean Flour)
1 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Coarse Yellow Cornmeal
1/4 Cup Dried Parsley
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Vegetable Stock

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Stir together the bean flour, cornmeal, 1 cup of the all-purpose flour, and parsley together in a medium bowl. Add in the oil and veggie stock, stirring well. Once fully combined, add in the remaining amount of flour, and keep on stirring it until all of the dry ingredients have absorbed – It may take quite a bit of mixing, agitating, and kneading, but it will all come together eventually!
When your dough is completely homogeneous and only slightly sticky, use a rolling pin to flatten it out to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Use cookie cutters to make the shapes that you want and lay them out on a silpat-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove biscuits from the oven and let air-dry overnight, or for at least 8 hours before storing in an airtight container.
Keep in mind that homemade biscuits go bad much faster than store bought, so use this as an excuse to spoil your furry friend even more than usual!

Notes

Store your biscuits in the freezer for up to 6 months, if you won't go through them as quickly.